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NITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

RICHARD DUDLEY AND BENJAMIN HERSHEY, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD OF THEIR RIGHT TO FRANK M. CRANE, OF

SAME PLACE.

CLOTHES-WRINGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,107, dated June 22, 1880. Application filed May 7, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RICHARD DUDLEY and BENJAMIN HERSHEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Clothes- Wringers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to produce a wringing and washing machine which will be simple and cheap in construction, and in which the spring-pressure upon the clothes will be automatically regulated by the thickness ofthe hotly' of the clothes passing between the rollers, as more fully hereinafter specilied.

The invention consists, rst, in the combination, with the frame of a clothes-wringer and the upper wringer-roll thereof, of a torsional spring extending longitudinally along the rear of the wringer-frame, and having its ends bent downward to the front of the frame,

and provided with eyes or bearings carrying the ends of the upper wringer-roll; second, in thel combination, with the'frame of a clotheswringer having a top cross-piece connecting the side frames, and with the lower and upper wringer-rolls, of a torsional spring extending longitudinally along the frame, and having its ends bent substantially at right angles, and provided with eyes or bearings carrying one' of the wringer-rolls, and mechanism for regulating the tension of the torsion-spring; third, in a torsional spring provided with downward and forward projecting bent vends and a vertically-projecting loop or arm,in combination with the wringer-roll, connected by eyes or bearings withc the bent ends of the torsionspring, and an adjusting-screw passing through the wringer-frame, and provided with a head against which the loop or arm bears, for regulatin g the tension of the torsion-spring; fourth, in the combination, with a wringer, of two swiveled clutches adapted to be set over the edge of a tub, with means by which they can be operated to bind upon the edge of the tub, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of our improved wrin ger and washer.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the plane of the axes ofthe rollers. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section through the base board, back board, and lower roller, showing the drip-plate., Fig. 4 is a detachedsectional view, showing a modified form of 55 the back board. Fig. 5 is a detached view, showing a modification of the bearin gs at ends of the spring; and Fig. 6 is a section of the cross-piece of the wringer-fralne on the line x a: of Fig. 2. l

TheletterAindicates the hase of the wringer, supporting at its opposite ends the vertical standards-B, connected at their tops by the cross-piece C.

The letter D indicates the lower roller, the shaft of which is journaled in xed bearings E, formed in the lower part of the vertical standards F.

Theletter Gindicates the upper roller, which is journaled in eyes or bearings H at the ends of the spring I, by which a spring-pressure is given to said upper roller, so as to permit it to yield as the clothes are passed between the rollers, in the manner more fully hereinafter specified. The said spring I is pivoted to the rear or front of the cross-piece O, and its ends are bent downward and to the front of the machine, so as to hold the upper roller directly above the lower one and permit the said upper roller to be elevated in the arc of a circle upon a radius formed by the bent ends of the spring when the clothes are passed between the rollers. The spring I is bent into the form of a loop or arrn, K, at its center or other portion or portions.

The letter L indicates an adj usting-screw passing through the loop K and provided with a head against which said loop bears. (See Fig. 6.) This screw also passes through an aperture in the cross-piece C, whereby the ten sion of the spring may be regulated and controlled to produce the proper pressure upon the clothes.

On account of cheapness and simplicity the arm K is preferably formed by bending the spring, as just above mentioned; but it is evident that the arm could be otherwise formed without departingfour invention, such as making the arm and journal-bearing in one piece. l

rIhe bearin gs at the end of the spring, where extreme simplicity and cheapness are an object, consist simply of eyes or loops formed at the ends of the spring-arm, as indicated at Fig. 5 of the drawings; but they are preferably formed oi' boxes carryin friction balls or rollers to lessenfricti on. rI he lower roller may also be journalcd in ordinary boxes, or in boxes provided with friction balls or rollers, as may be desired or found convenient.

The letter M indicates a vertical plate, which we term a drip-plate,Y extending longitudinally along the front of the back board N of the wringcr. The said plate is provided with a longitudinal bead, 0, at its upper edge, which is adapted to set between the upper edge oi' the back board and the periphery of the lower roller, and serves to direct the water back into the wash-tub or vessel to which the wrin ger is attached.

The letter I indicates two clutches swiveled to vertical rods or pins R, depending from the base of the wringer near each end. The said clutches are provided with slots S, by means of which they can set upon the edge ol' the tub or other vessel.

The letter T indicates a rod provided with a head at one end and a screwfthread at the other, and passing loosely through apertures U in the respective clutches, the screw-threaded end of the rod having mounted thereon a handle, V, by means of which the clutches may be drawn toward each other and cause the opposite sides of the slots to bind against the tub and hold the wri nger or washer firmly thereon.

The operation of our invention will be readily understood in connection with the above description. The clothes are passed between the rollers in the usual manner, the upper roller yielding for the purpose, and, as it moves in the are of a circle on the ends of the spring', it will be perceived that as it becomes elevated and the tension of the spring` .increased the leverage of the ends of the spring is correspondingly increased, thus automatically regulating the pressure upon the clothes, so

as to preserve a uniform pressure, irrespective of the thickness of the body of the clothes.

It will be manifest that the arrangement of the spring can be changed so as to act on the lower roller instead of the upper one, and therefore we do not conne ourselves to the precise arrangement shown.

W'hat we claim is- 1. The combination, with the frame of a clothes-wringer and the upper wringer-roll thereof, of the torsional spring I, extending longitudinally along the rear of the wringerframe, and having its ends bent downward to the front of the frame, and provided with eyes or bearings carrying the ends of the upper wringer-roll, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the wringer-frame having the cross-piece C, and with the lowerand upper wringer-rolls, D G, of the torsional spring I, extending longitudinally along the frame, and having its ends bent at right angles, and provided with eyes carrying the wringer-roll G,a|1d mechanism, substantially as described, for regulating the tension of the torsionspring.

The torsional. spring I, formed with the downward and forward projecting bent ends', and the vertically-projecting loop or arm K, in combination with the upper roll, connected b v eyes with the bent ends of the torsionspring, and the adjustingscrew L, passing through the wringer-frame and provided with a head, against which the loop or arm bears, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In combination with aclothes-wrin ger, the swiveled clutches, screw-connecting rod, and screw-nut, whereby said clutches can be drawn toward each other and caused to bind upon the edge of a tub orother vessel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RICHARD DUDLEY. BENJAMIN HERSHEY.

Witnesses J. F. WALTIIER, Uns. STREUBER. 

